Display-cabinet



A. C. MICHEL. DISPLAY CA=BINET.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9, 1920.

II/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ALBERT c. MICHEL, or GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY- CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented DIay 24, 1921.

Application filed August 9, 1920. Serial No. 402,204.

To all w/wmz't mag/concern: V

Be it known that I, ALBERT MICHEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Granite City, in the county .of Madisonand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification. i v

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in display cabinets for fruit and other articles exposed for sale, the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The main object of my invention is to provide means for displaying articles to the best advantageas placed, such as oranges, apples and other fruit, and onions, potatoes and other vegetables without making'them subject to handling; second for removal of the articles from the bottom without dis"- turbing the display,and thus allow of refilling yet always taking out the oldest first; third for adapting the cabinet for articles of any size; fourth for adapting the cabinet for the wall or counter use so that the articles may be taken out either from the front or the rear and fifth for finally removing readily the display itself, or any particular part of it. I

In the accompanying drawing on which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 represents aplan view of my device with globular articles, such as oranges indicated therein; Fig. 2 a'front view of the same showing the display; and F ig. 3 a vertical sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 2. Y

When fruits such as oranges are kept in an ordinary box they are subject to handling and when the box is refilled as it becomes partially empty, the fruit that is oldest or has been longest exposed for sale, is at the bottom and the fruit being sold is taken from the top. Likewise the fruit is subject to handling by the purchasers and attractive display for sale is not readily secured or maintained. My device allows of placing suitable specimens of fruit for display in an attractive manner, preventinghandling of the same, allowing of readily removing all of the display or any part of it when desired, but normally supplying the customer from a storage compartment behind the display and removing the fruit from such storage compartment either from the back as when the cabinet is located upon a counter,

or from the front as is most convenient directly back of the bars and retained by the bars in the position indicated by Figs. 2 and 3. The top of the cabinet is open and between the front and back is adjustably located a partition E parallel to the front and maintained at a suitable distance from the .front bars corresponding to the size of the fruit, by means of pins F F at the top and sides of the partition, or other means for maintaining the partition in suitable relation to the front. The top of the partition has a cross bar G Fig. 1 that slides. in a slot H in the sides of the cabinet so as to be flush with the top of the walls as shown in Fig. 3. The opening in the box is therefore divided into two compartments, the one in the front I for display of the articles that are sold from the cabinet, and the rear compartment J forthe storage of the articles being sold. The partition does not extend to the full depth of the cabinetbut ends approximately twice the lleigllt of each fruit,

and on the bottom end of the partition are hangingbrackets K that carry a cross bar D that prevents the exit ofthe lower row of display fruit to the rear. v the display compartment is a supportingbar L carried on a ledge M or otherwise so that the bar L may be slid back and forth or taken out altogether when desired. There is space below the bar L for the removal of fruit at the front by removing the lowest bar C. In order to remove the fruit from the rear I provide an opening N Fig. 3 pro-- tected by an inclined portion B of the back wall that extends inward and downward toward the front so as partially to support the fruit contained in the storage compartment, and yet allow it to roll down below the ledge B and take its position in the lower strata from which it may readily be removed either from the front or the back, and its Just below 7 place supplied by further fruit from the storage compartment.

Upon the front of thepartition wall E is a reflecting surface such as a mirror 0 as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 which adds to the appearance of the fruit displayed in the front compartment. A protecting bar I covers the top of the display co1npart ment and is suitably fastened to prevent tampering with the fruit at the top. In case it be necessary for any reason to take out the display, such as when it is to be renewed or sold, it is only necessary to take out or slide backward the bar L when the whole display will slip down to the lower opening and be removed by the hand from the back opening N; or from the front opening caused by taking out the lowest bar G. Also when it is desired to take out the lowest row of the display that rests upon the bar L, either the front bar C opposite this row may be raised; or the bar I) back of the lowest display row may be removed by the hand when the storage compartment has become empty, and thus the display articles be taken out from the back.

The cross bars mounted m the open front of the box are spaced apart according to the size of the globular fruits located in the dis )la com )artment so that the said bars will be opposite the middle of each row of fruit substantially as shown in Fig. 2. The space between the lower end of the vertical partition and the supporting bar L, is a little greater than the diameter of the contained fruits; and the bar D is located half way in this space or practically half the diameter of the fruits, to prevent lateral backward movement of the lower row of fruits in the display compartment. Ihus none of the fruits in the display compartment can be taken out between the front cross bars until the bars are shifted to make larger opening or spacement between them; likewise a removal of the lowest row of fruits in the display compartment may take place toward the back by removal of the restraining bar I), or through the front by removal of the bar C that is opposite said row; and when the whole display compartment is to be emptied quickly, the bar IJ supporting the globular fruits is slid laterally upon the supporting ledges M, or otherwise moved, allowing all of the horizontal rows of globular fruits to quickly fall out of the lower end of the display c0mpartment.

Thus in placing the fruits to the best advantage in the display compartment, the lower row is inserted first and the superposed rows successively placed and the cross bars adjustably inserted according to the diameter of the contained fruits. In this way the fruits are arranged so that they are displayed to the best advantage and the cross bars are successively inserted in such spaced relation that they are always less than the diameter of the fruits in the display compartment.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a boX having a front adapted to display articles placed therein, a substantially vertical partition adjustably mount} ed adjacent to said front and having a cross bar at the top with ends slidably supported in notches at the top of the sides of the box, and means to maintain said partition in its adjusted position. p

2. A display cabinet having a display compartment and comprising a box havingan open front, a vertical partition adjustably located parallel to said front a distance therefrom according to the size of the globular fruits contained in the display cabinet when in use, between the said partition and said front, cross bars in said front spaced apart a distance less than the size of the contained fruits, and a supporting bar slidably mounted below said display compartment and forming a temporary bottom for the fruits in said display compartment.

3. A display cabinet comprising a box having an open front, a partition mounted parallel to said front forming a display compartment for globular fruits, and cross bars a'djustably mounted in said front and adapted to be spaced a variable distance apart and less than the diameter of said contained fruits.

4:. A device of the character described comprising a box having a bottom three sides and an open front, a vertical partition adjustably mounted parallel to said front forming a display compartment in front and a storage compartment behind said partition, cross bars mounted in said open front and adapted to be variably spaced according to the size of the globular fruits contained-in said display compartment, a supporting bar mounted below the display compartment and above the bottom of the box, and a removable cross bar half the height of the fruit above the said supi iorting bar allowing the removal of the lower row of fruits successively carried by said supporting bar;

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

Y ALBERT C. MICHEL. 

